


Of Curious Farewells and Fond Hellos

by Fangirlinit



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Meeting AU, Euthanasia, F/F, reader discretion advised
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 02:06:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6933661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlinit/pseuds/Fangirlinit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Memorial Day and Dr. Danvers has the unfortunate responsibility of working at the clinic. But when two unlikely visitors come knocking, Alex’s night changes – and not in the way she thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Curious Farewells and Fond Hellos

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never had a pet put down, so I apologize from the bottom of my heart if I don’t do this justice. You don’t want to know the kind of research I put myself through for this. Between the YouTube videos and WebMD my keyboard nearly shorted out from the tears. I’m so thorough for you guys, it’s messed up.

It was seven o’clock in the evening at National City Animal Hospital. The vet techs had long gone home to their picnic potato salad and dysfunctional families. Not a spare light in the facility, it was doused in shadow.

Alex went from one exam room to the next to check impeccable stainless steel surfaces and orderly supplies. When she finished with closing procedures, she threw a jacket over her changed clothes and rummaged in her purse for her car keys.

Alex was glad to be rid of the remote clinic. She had a 2009 Bordeaux waiting for her at home and a date with destiny. Destiny, in this case, equated all-you-can-eat tacos from the suspiciously delicious food truck down the street. Mm, wine and tacos. A primer for tomorrow’s epic family get-together.

Just as Alex was making her last rounds, she heard a rapping at the front door. Frowning, Alex checked her watch (7:20pm). Whoever it was appeared persistent. Alex put down her purse and made for the front.

On the other side of the glass stood a woman of equal height and age. Her curly dark hair flowed past her shoulders and just barely grazed the wet nose of a dog. He or she was burritoed in a blanket of royal blue plush and held tightly to their master’s chest. The chocolate lab had some patches of hair loss and appeared distinctly underweight, but showed no graying around the muzzle and eyes. For all Alex knew this dog could have been an adolescent.

Alex threw her shoulders back and slipped into professional mode. With a tight grin, she unlocked the door and propped it open.

“Hello, can I help you?”

“Good evening. I apologize for the late hour, but are you able to assist with something?”

“I can try. What is it that you need?” Alex panned down to the dog. The second their eyes met she knew. The poor thing took each breath with a shuddering flinch. “Oh…” she lamented. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Please come in.”

“Thank you.” Astra nodded very diplomatically. “I think we’ve waited long enough.”

“O-of course.” Alex reached out to help take the dog off her hands.

“If you don’t mind.”

Despite the relaxed lines in the stranger’s forehead, Alex noticed how the hands gripped tighter around the dog. “You can follow me this way.” She indicated with a wave of her hand.

She guided the woman and her dog toward the back where there were several cubicles. The cubes were separated by walls and each had a curtain which could be closed for privacy.

Alex took in the animal with a somber expression. He or she was all skin and bones. Alex would guess radiation therapy. The dog most likely hadn’t eaten in a few days. Disease had a way of curbing hunger, even in the most insatiable of animals. And something told Alex that this one enjoyed their premium salmon.

“And what shall I call you?”

Astra lay the dog on the procedure table. She adjusted the red leash as she spoke. “Her name is Alura.”

“What a pretty name.” Alex gave a gentle squeeze to the animal’s ear. “Hi there, Alura.”

“Is this alright? “ the woman asked, scrutinizing the clinic. “I know it’s after hours.”

“Don’t be absurd. I wouldn’t kick out such a sweet thing…” Alex patted Alura just as her hand became wet by an affectionate tongue. She giggled and added as an afterthought, “… or her master. It’s just us.”

She flicked on the standing lamp. The light bathed the area in a glow soft enough not to disorient dog or owner. “Everyone else has gone home, so this will be a quiet affair. I hope you don’t mind the shade. We normally turn the main lights off over holiday and I’d have to go down to the basement where the breaker box is.” Alex panned from the dog to her master. “I wouldn’t want to cause more delay.”

“The lighting is fine. Why are you working so late?” she asked, as if she’d already been told but had forgotten.

“It’s what happens when you draw the short straw. We route all non-emergency calls to the college. They have a few interns on staff. For emergencies the clinic here has surgeons on call, which means I’m the point of contact at the moment.”

“You are a surgeon?” the stranger asked. She flinched when Alura nuzzled into her palm. She quietly stole her hand behind her back, but not quiet enough as Alex raised a brow. “I thought one didn’t have to be a qualified vet to euthanatize animals.”

Boy, Alex thought. The way she said that it was like she didn’t know her own dog was dying right there.

“I am a surgeon, yes, but there is no educational prerequisite in this line of work when it comes to easing the pain of a case.” Alex cleared her throat. “Anyway, my mom and my sister are saving leftovers. It’s turkey burgers and jello salad for breakfast tomorrow at the Danvers.”

The nameless woman hummed boringly

“I’m Doctor Danvers by the way. Alex Danvers.”

“Astra.”

“Nice to meet you.” Alex tried not to sulk for want of a last name. This would take a matter of a few minutes judging by the woman’s behavior and they’d part ways like strangers.

“The blanket was a good idea.” Alex offered a caress to the dog’s head. Alura lay slack-jawed, tongue lolled out, and clearly comfortable tucked in her security blanket. Alex grinned, scratching Alura around the ears. She bent down until they were nose-to-nose and cooed, “It helps to be with the familiar and the comfortable.”

“I just grabbed whatever was lying around." Astra said it quickly enough for some offense to slip through. “I honestly didn’t pay attention.”

“All the same, she appears relaxed. It’ll make things a little easier for everyone.”

“Everyone?” Astra frowned. “Pardon my skepticism, but do the ones with the syringe need to be relaxed for this sort of work?”

Alex’s brows rose so high they nearly touched her hairline. She gave a short, bitter laugh. “Are you saying…? You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to waste any more of your time.”

Shaking her head, Alex turned towards the surgical cart and extracted the necessary tools. Each drawer was opened with a _whoosh!_ and closed with a _clap!_

It took a matter of a few seconds to calm herself. One look at Alura and Alex melted. The dog was so beautiful despite her illness. There was a bit of light in those eyes, the last bit of life she had left.

It had to be the blanket – she nuzzled into it just as much as she did her master. The only difference being the blanket didn’t seize up like a petrified piece of wood.

Syringe in hand, Alex approaching the table. “This is a sedative. It’ll ease any of the side effects.”

Alex looked up, expecting a hint of worry. She’d done a few of these procedures and they usually followed the same formula: tears abounded, questions of pain and time of passing, soft-spoken reassurances to their fading companion…

Astra didn’t check off a single one of those. Whatever Astra was feeling (or not feeling), Alex answered the unspoken curiosity. “She’s not in any pain. I promise.” She had since kept her hand on Alura’s leg, rubbing her thumb in soothing circles over the injection site. “She’s a brave one.”

When it was over, Alex took her hand back and pressed it to her thigh. Her eyes closed as she said a prayer. She wasn’t religious in the slightest, but it was times like this that she felt beholden to these obedient souls. If she could assure a peaceful passing with a few lines from St. Francis (thanks Google) then so be it.

Alex shifted away but struggled at the sight of the still lab cuddled in her bed. “Would you… like a moment?”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Are you okay?”

Astra’s expression remained blank. “I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure then,” Alex sighed and motioned to the paperwork, “I can set you up with a cremation service or burial.” Her mouth twisted. She hated this part. “What is your preference?”

Astra’s hand hadn’t left Alura’s shoulder. She stared at her dog with no discernable emotion.

“Oh god,” Alex felt a stab of remorse, “they didn’t go through the process with you did they?”

“The process was expressed to me in an adequate manner.” Astra sniffed indignantly. “I made the decision the day she was diagnosed.”

Alex waited. Brows raised expectantly, she prompted, “And that would be…?”

“Box.”

“Box it is.” Alex turned her head slightly. What a strange and most unexpected night this was. And what a rotten human being she was sharing it with. She’d be glad to be rid of this woman.

“Do you have a restroom I may use? I have a long drive home.”

“Sure, it’s just out in the hall to your left.”

The muscles in Astra’s jaw worked. “Thank you.”

As the woman walked away, Alex stared after her. She folded her arms over her chest, trying to work out just who this woman was. There was something about her that gave Alex the creeps, but also begged for more curiosity than she was willing to admit. Astra was fascinating – not to the point of endearing – but fascinating in an _I want to run tests and conduct a dissertation on you_ fascinating.

It was true that people grieved for loved ones in different ways. In Alex’s case, the day of her father’s funeral marked a litany of anxiety. She hated crying in public because of the pressure _to_ cry. Even if she wanted to she couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried the waterworks wouldn’t come. But the minute her apartment door closed behind her and the cold blanket of silence fell, everything became real for Alex. The sudden awareness of the coming days without Dad hit her like a brick to the chest. She couldn’t shed a single tear at the funeral, but alone in her own personal space she couldn’t stop them from coming.

If Alex thought she skipped around the stages of mourning, Astra skipped them entirely. She had reacted in a manner most unusual, behaving as if Alura meant nothing to her at all; as if the dog had stayed with her for only a few days, not long enough to settle a place in her heart.

Alex placed the clinic’s standard, minimalistic burial vessel on the table. She settled a hand on its cover and stroked it. A gentle smile spread across her lips.

Before she could shed a tear, there was a clatter. It came from the hallway. Taking soft, tentative steps, she approached the doorway. The late hour left a few possibilities. It was probably some junkie kid looking to feed a habit. It happened once before, but Alex wasn’t working that night. She had no idea what to expect from an unconscionably agitated teen. Maybe some broken glass and, “Tramadol, is that, like, morphine?”

Before venturing out, Alex picked up one of the otoscopes they used on the larger breeds. She kept the blunt end up, ready to whack them over the head before they could even pronounce ‘Tramadol.’

Peaking around the open door, she panned the hallway. One of the waiting chairs lay on its side and near it was Astra. She had her back to Alex, but the sobbing was clear from the hiccups and shuddering.

Alex didn’t even have time to feel a stab of uneasiness. There was nothing awkward about being in a position to console. It didn’t occur to Alex why _this_ _woman_ in particular set her into motion so swiftly and without regard for her own comfort level. She just acted.

Not wanting to spark offense, Alex had the sense not to start with the typical questions. This was not one of a thousand pass or fail exams Alex had taken in her medical school days. There was no right or wrong answer, no definitive selection to choose from. Astra had just lost a friend and was clearly in a very dark place. There was no question of her emotional state.

Astra had an arm bracing round her abdomen and a hand clamped over her mouth. Her entire face was drenched in tears, her mascara running over her fingers and making her look a certifiable mess.

“Um, hey…” Alex started gently. Her hands stretched out inch by cautious inch until they lay on Astra’s arms. They were shaking uncontrollably. Her whole body wracked with the sobs. Astra teetered on the verge of collapse, so Alex gripped her tighter so as to keep her steady.

“If you need a hug… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I can’t watch you and do nothing. I know you can’t talk right now, so if you want to give me a sign or something and oh you’re a hugger. Okay…”

Astra fell into her arms more elegantly than someone in her state would. The only possible explanation could have been due to a new outlook on trust. Not so neutral as either of them believed, she was in the throes of declining contentment.

It was clear from the start that Astra didn’t accept kindness easily. She seemed more the _tough it out and cry later_ type. Alex could sympathize. But here the hardened master lay sobbing on Alex’s shoulder for her departed companion. She sagged into Alex with the weight of her grief, all ten fingers digging into her back.

“… Okay,” Alex mumbled with a pat to the back. Her eyes shot to the ceiling as she grimaced. She really needed to learn to shut her mouth when appropriate. Or at least say the right thing in less then a dissertation.

“She’s all I had in this world.”

When Alex nodded she knew it would be felt. The arms locking around her didn’t let up, so Alex rubbed up and down her back to coax the tears dry. She wouldn’t turn down this beautiful, heartbroken women dependent on her hugs. It’d break _her_ heart.

“I know,” Alex whispered, even if she didn’t know. How could she? They had only met fifteen minutes ago.

“I didn’t know what else to d-do.” Choking up over a sob, Astra pressed her cheek into brown hair. “The doctor said the radiation would help and at first it seemed like she was getting better. But then …”

Alex squeezed her tighter. She was as small as a child at this point. How could such a tall, articulate woman be so frail in her arms? What had happened? It wasn’t just the death of Alura that had prompted this change. It was the relationship behind these two that made this once whole woman shatter into a million pieces.

“The cancer spread,” Astra continued. She took in slow, rattling breaths. “She couldn’t keep her food down. I didn’t know what to do. She was in pain. She was yelping through the night… Oh god, what have I done?”

“You did nothing wrong.” Alex cupped the back of Astra’s head, fingers dipping into curls. She rubbed soothing circles as she had done with Alura. “You gave her the peace she needed.”

“I could have given her one more day.”

“You made a tough decision but it was the right one. I know it hurts and you don’t believe it, but that was a very brave thing you did.”

“No.” Astra drew back, shaking her head. She sniffed and pressed the back of her hand to wipe her cheek. “Alura was the brave one. It was selfish of me to make her suffer this long.” Her eyes squeezed shut as another wave of tears broke. “She was so understanding. She knew me so well… when I needed her – wherever I was – I’d hear her paws pad across the floor and there she would be. She followed me everywhere, even when I didn’t call, even when I didn’t want the company. It was like she was my soul mate. Like my twin.”

An abrupt chuckle slipped out.

Astra rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Alex nodded with an unlikely sense of fondness. She felt a twinge at the thought of parting ways. What a strange night indeed.

“Did you drive here or take a cab?”

Drying eyes looked up. “I parked out front.”

It didn’t take a medical degree to determine Astra’s mental state. She was still shaky and detained by gloomy thoughts. Under these circumstances, she was in no condition to operate machinery.

“Let me drive you home,” Alex proposed with a squeeze to a shoulder. “It’s no trouble. Come on.”

Surprisingly, Astra didn’t put up a fight. Even when Alex had a dozen reasons to justify, one of them being the need for fine company.

* * *

They stood side by side in Astra’s modest backyard. A stone marked the grave they had just fashioned. It was a solemn undertaking deprived of conversation or argument. Alex had much to think about anyway, chief among those thoughts included her rapidly changing view of Astra.

“Do you have – “

“No,” Alex answered. She closed her eyes and ducked her head. The words were difficult – thick and uncertain at the back of her throat. “When I graduated from college and moved into my own place, my dad… he got me a rescue dog – to ‘keep me in charitable spirits,’ he said as if my being a vet would diminish that. He always worried I took myself too seriously.”

The grass felt soft under her shifting feet. Alex cleared her throat. “He passed just a year ago. It took me months before I could set foot into a shelter. Even then I couldn’t make a choice. How could I? Not after my dad died just before.” Suddenly, Alex’s head snapped up. “That doesn’t mean you can’t. I mean, it’s different for everyone. Moving on and all that…”

Astra nodded gently.

Rolling her eyes to herself, Alex cursed her sick sense of support.

“Do you think of him?” asked Astra, quietly with hands behind her back. “Do you think of your father when you’re with your patients?”

Alex smiled at the way Astra called them her ‘patients.’ “Yes, but I hold no resentments with them. It’s different when I’m healing a dog rather than caring for one on a daily basis. With a patient, I’m not given the time to get close to them, to develop a connection.”

“But that sounds awful.”

“Perhaps I’m punishing myself.”

“Whatever for? Your father wouldn’t wish you to subject yourself to such a lonely life. He’d want happiness for you – someone to share your life with.”

The steel-hardened certainty on display provoked Alex’s brow to raise. “Are you speaking from experience?”

Astra backed down. If she were to push the issue, she’d be expected to share her story. It was only fair, but then Astra wasn’t ready in the slightest. Not when her only confidante rested six feet under.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you…” She changed the subject with an air of hesitancy. Her head tipped, she continued, “But I’m unsure if it is the right time.”

Alex shrugged and nodded for her to go on.

“As one who has been on the receiving end of a doctor’s somewhat…” She diverted her squinting gaze for inspiration. “… How do I put this? Unpolished embrace? You should really work on your bedside manner.”

Alex shrugged meekly. “I can’t help it. My job has me primarily exposed to mammals of the four-legged kind.”

For a moment it seemed as if Astra was going to add something, but her lips pursed shut. She cleared her throat and panned down to the frost-tipped blades of grass.

A few minutes passed and were marked by avoiding glances. Then a disgruntled voice muttered from the dark.

“ _They_ like my hugs just fine.”

A beat later they both erupted into laughter. The sense of joy came so unexpectedly Alex nearly lost her balance. Her hand went for Astra’s to steady herself. Her days were usually so long and uneventful, not to mention lonely without a pet or partner to come home to. It went to show how much she may have needed Astra more than she needed her in return.

Astra’s head tipped back as she breathed the fresh coolness in with a wide, grinning mouth. She laughed into the heavens, wondering fleetingly if Alura could hear. Was there such a thing as an afterlife for dogs? And did it reside amongst the clouds? If so, Alura was up there now preparing to shower her with tears. The overcast sky and distinct smell of rain was confirmation enough.

The thought sobered Astra and yet she didn’t feel that same foreboding sensation when remembering Alura. Instead, her heart warmed to the fact that they had spent their last moments together. Alura may be buried beneath her feet, but she still had the memories and the unconditional love she wouldn’t trade for anything else in the world. It also helped to be holding hands with a supportive, most attractive woman.

Astra let her hand fall away as gravity took care of the rest. It brushed her side idly. She mulled over the silence.

“I could use a drink,” she said, turning to Alex. “Would you care to join me?”

Alex held the gaze a moment longer before gaging the sky. It was a cloudy night without a star in sight. There was no reason to stay out any longer than necessary, especially when rain was forecasted. She should really call a cab and get home but she felt a bit miffed at the idea of leaving this woman so early. Hellos should be as memorable as goodbyes, and not cut short due to a little thunder.

“Yeah.” Alex’s reply came as a rolling mist in the air. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Astra’s excitement was subdued but that could have been from her uncommonly exhausting day. Then she thought about how difficult it had been to take those final steps with Alura’s delicate body cradled in her arms and how a happenstance like Dr. Danvers had given her the courage to take that first step in accepting a dear friend’s passing.

With these thoughts in mind Astra’s eyes recovered with newfound light. “I’m very glad to have met you, Alex.”

Alex cocked her head playfully. “Be careful or you might find yourself invited to a post-Memorial Day breakfast.”

“You say that with discouragement.” Astra flashed a somewhat genuine frown. It was hard to tell with the smirk waiting behind it. “I’m sure the Danvers are splendid company. I’ve already met one of them and have no reservations.”

Knowing all too well the blush she provoked, Astra turned on her heel and made for the back door that led to her kitchen.

Pulling a strand of hair behind her ear, Alex bowed her head down and followed after with a grin.

**Author's Note:**

> In the original draft I planned a backstory for Alex which involved her having to put down a childhood dog named Max. It didn’t end up making the final cut. I realized I just wanted an excuse to write something along the lines of “Putting Max to sleep.”


End file.
